You never get in a car knowing you’ll get in an accident. It happens to the best of drivers when they least expect it. Due to the fact that an accident can be the result of another driver’s actions, the chances of having an accident on the road are actually pretty good. While driving defensively and paying attention are key ways to avoid your first accident with another driver, the truth is that it is just as important to prepare for what to do if you ever find yourself involved in an accident. The last thing you want to happen is to end up scrambling to figure out what to do at the last minute.
Assess Your Situation
As soon as an accident has occurred, there is a chance that you might be hurt. You could be cut, lose a limb or sustain internal bleeding. If you feel you have been seriously injured, it would be best to call for an ambulance while you wait for the police to come. Even if you think you are fine, you will need to be checked out by a doctor as soon as you can. This is important, because waiting too long to get checked out could have a huge impact on any legal issues that arise from being involved in an accident.
Gather Information
It is more common than you think to see people have an accident where one of the drivers flees the scene. Make sure that driver is not you, because that never turns out well. Before the other driver can drive off, you will want to write down the license plate number and any information you can to identify the other driver. If possible, it is excellent to take pictures to use for evidence. Getting as much information as you possibly can may be critical to any court case you may be involved in as a result of an accident.
Exchanging Information
You should always keep a card handy with all the relevant information you need to pass along to the other driver involved in the accident. Names, phone-numbers and insurance information are all important to have handy ahead of time. This will help keep the exchange simple and straight forward. Plus, you must make certain you acquire the same information from the other driver, because you are going to need it.
Who to Call
When an accident occurs, there are a number of phone calls that need to be made. Someone should call the police to handle the situation, it may be needful to call an ambulance for anyone who is hurt and it is also a good policy to contact an attorney as well to begin to work on your case. If you have been injured, a compensation attorney might be on your list of calls that need to be made also to ensure that you have access to resources you may need. This is especially true if you are unable to work for any reason as a result of the accident.
The Aftermath
Going through an accident with another driver can be a rough experience. Even when the officer on the scene dismisses both drivers, this does not mean the ordeal is necessarily finished. In fact, it is important to prepare to deal with everything from injuries to legal issues days, weeks or even months after the accident. It all depends on how severe the accident turns out to be, and how prepared you are to push through everything that needs to be dealt with until all is complete.